AN: WOO-HOO! Looks like I made it after all! Sure, this chapter is quite long (perhaps the longest I've written as of yet) and may need several edits later down the line, but I think it was an alright job. Now, I would like to also thank Toa Coy 2.0 for looking over this chapter the day before and responding so quickly.

That being said, I may have to get rid of my current schedule altogether or go on a hiatus (yet another) because I'm not able to get you guys quality material in a timely matter at all! I may just put an announcement if that ever happens (probably if I don't update the next chapter in two weeks).

But for now, please read and I hope you enjoy!


The past two weeks had been one surprise after the other. From dealing with a new Toa to rumors of Uram's return-which she heard while walking in Korgot Caverns' main square-Tira wasn't sure what to do. Still, she carried on like the rest of the Earth Tribe. Having a baby always kept Tira busy, especially when a tiny tremor made said baby squirm in Tira's arms.

"Are you sure you don't want me to hold him?" Kerac asked his wife after the tremor passed, barely noticeable to the two and everyone else.

"I'll be fine." Tira's tired tone said otherwise, but Kerac didn't question it. Tira loved that about him: how he trusted in others' abilities. It helped when he assigned certain guards to watch their Toa while he left to look for minerals.

Kerac also kept his guard up. His blue eyes turned and became as sharp as his drilled spear. "What is it? Is something the matter?" Tira asked and found the main square abuzz with shock.

Off to the side, a vendor dropped a mined crystal and shattered his merchandise. In the midst of others gasping and falling silent, Tira heard little. She saw little too, barely able to glance past her fellow Tribesmen-now still like statues. It was enough for Tira to spot a Toa of Shadows.

The following questions held back Tira's fears: "Why was the Toa of Shadows out in the open and hidden like before? What was she doing back here?" Those questions made her step out of her fear and past two whispering Earth Tribesmen, to get a closer look.

And Tira found the terror of Korgot Caverns sitting under a crystal lamp. The way she hugged her legs close to her chest, she looked so fragile. So scared.

"Tira…?" said Kerac.

Tira looked at him. "I'm going to try to talk to her." Tira spoke again after Kerac's eyes widened. "I know it may sound a bit crazy, but… we have to do something about this." Tira gestured a free hand to the crowd. "Everyone can't be scared all the time… and I feel something's off."

"But our son-"

"I think…. I think he'll be fine. She didn't hurt him last time." Though she doubted her own words, Tira whispered, "Please, Kerac…"

That same trust, which Tira loved so much, convinced her husband to tell everyone to go about their business. Chatter rose, and feet crept away from the Toa of Shadows, allowing Tira to approach her. The purple crystal lamp gleamed off the Toa's body and irradiated her already-lit limbs. With the sharp scythe barely in sight and within reach of the Toa, Tira spoke, "Uh, hello?"

The Toa jumped, and Tira jumped too. "Are… are you okay?" she asked, meeting the Toa's equally startled gaze.

"Yeah… I think so," the Toa said quietly, her arms trembling around her shaken knees. Her pink eyes especially darted across the main street, looking at… the shadows?

Tira took another step closer. "Um...I don't think we've met properly… I'm Tira," she said hesitantly, well aware of the others staring at her.

The Toa hadn't noticed like Tira had. "Hanu told me… I'm Zala by the way."

"Yes… my father told me," Tira said and wondered how much her father had told Zala. "Speaking of which, where is he? Last I saw him, he left for the Ice Region…"

Korgot Caverns spoke before Zala could, its walls shaking suddenly. Everyone went on as usual, with very few taking notice. Among those few, the Toa looked around at the tiny rocks falling from above. "W-what was that?" she asked, almost frightened by the shaken cavern.

"Tremors," answered Tira. Natives like herself would be used to it, save for her wailing son. Holding him close to her shoulder, Tira whispered, "It's alright… it's alright…"

"Is… is your son alright?" Zala asked once the shaking stopped, unlike the babe's crying.

"He's fine. He's not used to these things yet," Tira said, and her concern grew after she spared a glance towards her child. "Though… he hasn't been like this before."

"Maybe… maybe I can help?" Zala proposed in her meek and almost-naive voice.

In any other situation, Tira would've ran away then and there. However, she remembered how Zala had helped her son, so she knelt by the Toa's side. Zala's hands waved gently over the baby's maskless face in circular motions, purple light trailing behind each. Tira admitted how alluring the show was, and her son agreed, cooing to lights pulsing before his slit-like eyes.

The calming pulse faded under another tremor. Only this tremor was made by giant feet of a giant Toa thudding on the ground. Ignoring everyone else's gasps, Tira stood upon recognizing the Protector with the Toa. "Father?" she said.

The other Toa waved, and his voice boomed. "Ah, there are you, Zala! We were wondering where you were after you ran off!"

"Hi, Maram…" Zala squeaked, to Tira's confusion. The hands that soothed her baby son grabbed an all-too familiar scythe as she went over to Maram with it.

As the two Toa talked, Hanu approached his daughter. You gave her your old scythe?" a surprised Tira asked, and her father shrugged a little, as if to say "it seemed like a good idea." Tira didn't like it, though. "Father, what is going on? First, you give your scythe. Now, you're back with a new Toa! What is going on? Does… does this have to do with Uram?"

The last question, said in a whisper, shook Hanu's eyes briefly. Instead of answering, he gestured to two younger Okotans behind Maram. Two blue Okotans whom Tira recognized.

"Torren's sons? What are…?" Tira stopped her questions, knowing her father wouldn't answer her yet. He did nod his head towards the two Water Tribe brothers, indicating that their father had asked to watch over them. "Me? Watch them? Father, you know I have Ang-"

Tira again stopped. Her father's eyes drooped down, all but begging for help. Tira had seen that look after her mother died at the hands of the mysterious invaders. With old emotions swelling inside, Tira sighed. "Very well, I'll do what I can," she said, holding her baby. "Besides, I've dealt with one boy. How hard could two be?"


"Ugh, where are those two?!" Tira grumbled a couple hours later. After losing Torren's sons, she huffed her way after a pair of obvious tracks that left Korgot Caverns. "Just how do those boys know how to move through here?!"

Tira pondered on that when the tracks led her to the old settlement outside her home village. Once, her father had come by this way in search of Zala. Now, Tira trailed after two boys who were no doubt looking for two Toa. Tira was thankful she left her son with Kerac back home. Otherwise, he'd cry and cry. And children could be very noisy.

Case in point, one boy said from ahead, "... Almost there! Shouldn't be too far from the Toa!"

"Mizu, we should head back," said the other boy, whom Tira recognized as Waya in the faint light. "You know what father said. Whatever it is-"

"Oh please! This isn't more dangerous than catching lightning!" said Torren's eldest son.

"But don't you remember? This has to deal with Uncle Uram-"

"That man isn't our uncle!" Mizu snapped, unaware of Tira creeping from behind. He went on, a crystal in one hand and a map in the other. "Besides, we need to know what's going on. And those two Toa have the answers!"

At that, Waya murmured, "They could easily crush us, you know. That dark Toa especially…"

"I doubt that," said Tira, now a foot behind the now-startled brothers. She crossed her arms, clearly irritated with the two who stared back at her. "Don't bother explaining. I heard your 'little conversation.' Now, you two are going to come back with me and..."

Tira's eyes stared at the map in Mizu's hand. A map covered in Uram's writing. "Where did you get that?" she asked, remembering when she-a young girl then-scoured the tunnels for Uram.

A sheepish Waya said, "We, uh, took it from our father's quarters…"

"It wasn't like he was going to use it," Mizu added quickly and unapologetically.

Tira placed a hand on each boy's shoulder. "Look here, you two are marching back right now!"

"Tira?" came from the side so quietly yet so suddenly that Tira, Mizu, and Waya almost jumped. From the dirtied road of the old settlement, the trio looked up to find Zala sitting atop of one of the old houses-a dome that had partially caved in.

"Toa… I didn't see you there," Tira said, relieved and uncertain at the same time.

"Is everything okay?" Zala asked, almost shouting from her spot above.

From inside Zala's domed and partially decayed seat, Maram's pale mask and massive body popped out of the opened portion. His eyes beamed brightly at Tira and Torren's sons as he greeted them. "Ah, you must be the Protector's daughter! And the boys, too!"

"Uh, yes," said Tira, almost frightened by Maram's sheer size. "Maram, was it?"

"Yes, I am Maram of the Light," the big Toa said, a hearty hand on his chest. "I do apologize for not introducing myself. It has been a busy week. If I may ask, what are you all doing here?"

"We were going to ask you that," Mizu said aloud.

"Stop it!" Tira hissed at Mizu, then she told the Toa, "As you can see, I was looking for these two after they slipped under my nose. Honestly, I've never seen a bunch of troublesome children!"

That made Maram chuckle. "Yes, I've heard they were a slippery bunch. But to answer your question, young Mizu, we are investigating. These tremors as of recent have been strange. Isn't that right, little shadow?," Maram said, turning his bright gaze to Zala. Zala nodded a little.

Mizu shouted, "Come on! Do you honestly think we'd believe that after hearing Uram is back?!"

Though Mizu had voiced her own thoughts, Tira grabbed him and his brother's shoulders. "Save that for later. Your father and I are going to have a serious talk!"

A rumble stopped any planned punishments, however. It rolled under the feet of both Okotans and Toa, who staggered on ground that stopped shaking seconds later. "Was that…?" Waya said. Tira had to admit that it was odd. This tremor rarely happened and so close to home.

"It's close," Maram said with sudden seriousness. "Zala, can you find it?"

Zala hadn't left her spot, but her hands fell on Hanu's scythe and her eyes scoured the cavern. They right, left, up, and down-looking directly for something until she at last pointed the scythe to several feet further down the old ruins. "Good!" Maram said. "Now, we must retrieve it and-"

"No!" Zala cried, to Maram's confusion.

"But little shadow-"

"NO!" Zala cried again and so harshly that it surprised even Tira. "It's there. In the earth… but in the shadow too. And he might be there too."

In the following silence, another tremor was the loudest noise. This one was different, and Tira's heart leapt when she guessed what was to come. "We have to go, now-!"

A large hand of earth erupted from the spot Zala had pointed towards. Rock splintered and cracked in so many places that it rocked the entire cavern. Both Toa could barely stay still, Zala-sans scythe-sliding into Maram's arms as her 'seat' for a house crumbled to pieces. A wobbling Tira barely heard Torren's sons cry out in surprise as they stumbled.

When she did notice, the shaken ceiling above fell away. With boulder-sized rocks dropping everywhere, Maram's massive form came in, hovering over Tira, the two boys, and Zala in his arms-

CRASH!

Correction, one arm. Despite fallen rocks everywhere now, Tira found Maram holding them all up with his back and free hand. The light coming off Maram's body told Tira how strong the Toa was to hold against such weight. Yet, gasps rang from her, Mizu, and Waya from how close they rocks were from almost crushing them. In their darkness, Maram's brightness was fading. Fast.

The dimming Maram grunted as he let Zala crouch beside the three Okotans. "Get them… out of here!" he told her.

"But what about you?!" Zala asked over the sound of crushing rocks.

"It will take more to strike me down! But you must do what you can to live!"

"I… I can't! I see him! He's watching even now!" Zala said. If not for the predicament, Tira would've snapped at her.

His form almost gray and both hands holding up the rocks, Maram did that. "Zala! I know not what happened but remember! You saved those villagers in the Jungle Tribe… Do it again!"

As Tira's heart beated faster than she thought was possible, so too did her many thoughts run through her mind. Experience had taught her to shut them out, unlike Waya and Mizu who stuck close to her. All three of them met Zala's wavering gaze before she at last said, "Please… hold my hands! And close your eyes!"

Tira gestured for the bots to go before she did. Waya held Zala's hand, then Mizu, but not before he held up his glowing crystal and asked Maram, "Would this help?"

"It may... work," Maram answered, so Mizu left the crystal by his feet. "Thank you."

After Mizu held onto Zala, Tira lastly did so. A second after they all closed their eyes, there was only the sound of crumbling rocks. In another second, there was no sound. In fact, Tira didn't feel anything around her other than her own weightlessness and the presence of the Toa who pulled on her and two boys.

"Keep them closed!" Zala said before Tira could open her eyes. The Toa's voice still sounded frightened, even though Tira felt nothing.

Zala's terror turned into a sigh of relief. Tira felt her own and heard the boys' as a sense of the real world came back. The stench of grinded stone and dust filled the air, and gasps of surprise from all around filled the silent air. Tira's surprise became obvious when she at last looked.

She was back in Korgot Caverns. Or what was supposed to be it. Within the brief time Tira had been trapped, the great quake came and went. The devastation left behind was obvious by the giant crack across the road and the fallen stalactites atop homes in main square. It had been better than what occurred just outside, but it was still a shock. Not to mention, Tira, the boys, and the Toa stood in the center of it all, while the rest of the Earth Tribe stared at them.

Reality sunk in, and Tira could say nothing. She didn't notice her tribe, the boys and the Toa beside her, or her father coming through the crowd in a rushed hobble. All the whispers and chattering flew over her head, as did anyone else checking on their loved ones. To check on her own, Tira rushed towards the great pile of rubble on the end of the giant crack.

Seeing her husband emerge from the rubble had been a sign of hope. Tira flung her arms around him, holding him tightly as possible. "Kerac?! Kerac, are you alright?!" she asked once she parted, and Kerac coughed up some dust.

"I… I'm fine. I was about to leave as soon as we were hit. But Tira… I…" Her husband's voice croaked. "I left him… By the elements, I had left him in his room… but now… he's not there…"

The words struck Tira harder than any weapon. "Kerac?" she asked again. Her husband stared back with sad eyes that tried not to fall into despair.

Tira did, her weight falling against Kerac. Atop the rubble that once was her home, she wept for her missing son.